


Skinner Box

by GrumpiestCat



Category: Firefly
Genre: Backstory, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 18:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8067487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrumpiestCat/pseuds/GrumpiestCat
Summary: She's still staring at you, and it takes all your resolve not to step back. There is no way you will let him have the satisfaction of seeing you frightened by this little girl.





	1. fixed

"She's not responding."  
  
You exhale through pursed lips, resisting the desire to whip out the curses you used to lob at your brothers. "It's only been a week."  
  
"The rats were - "  
  
"They were _rats_." You smile in his direction, but he just rolls his eyes. Your coffee's cold, so you splash a little from the pot into your cup, as if that does anything.  
  
"The director - "  
  
"Will be pleased with what we've done so far. Calm down."  
  
Of course, the subject chooses that exact moment to press her face against the glass. "I know you're there," she whispers.  
  
Your colleague sips his coffee, although you know it's just as cold as yours. He doesn't flinch. "Her hair's greasy. We should hose her down before he comes."  
  
"Someone will give her a bath tonight." You try not to sound peeved, but really, why does he think that you don't consider these things?  
  
"There will be no bath." The subject stands up straight, stares at you even though she has no way of knowing where you are behind the one-way mirror. "Send him to my cell and he will exit with severely decreased brain function."  
  
He tilts his head. "Huh."  
  
You will not ask, you will not ask, you ... dammit.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh, nothing."  
  
_Wuh de ma._  
  
She presses her fingers against the glass, as if she's trying to push her hand through. She's still staring at you, and it takes all your resolve not to step back. There is no way you will let him have the satisfaction of seeing you frightened by this little girl.  
  
"Perhaps we shouldn't have isolated her from the others."  
  
You bite your lip; he says these things, but if you dare to ask him why, he wouldn't be able to give you a rationale. It just sounds good, it sounds like it might, maybe, possibly be a legitimate reason why she's progressed to the psychotic stage more quickly than the others. You hope he says it in front of the director, because then, he'll have to explain himself. You'd love to hear him try.  
  
"I think we should up her Vantdalta," you say, reasoning on the tip of your tongue, if he asks, although you know he won't.  
  
"You think?" He clucks his tongue, pretends to ponder it, and you should ask him if he remembers what the Vantdalta is, because you know he doesn't. "Let's do that. 40 mgs?"  
  
You can't help but smile. "She's only on five, so let's just try ten."  
  
"Your call," he says, in that annoying I-know-better-than-you-but-whatever-your-funeral tone. "I'll go tell Dr. Carin."  
  
You wait until he's gone to let out a string of Chinese curses. How _he_ got to be the senior researcher, you'll never -  
  
"I can help you." Her forehead is against the glass, her eyes locked with yours. "I can make it look like an accident. No one would suspect. No one would care. They hate him as much as you, but his parents - "  
  
"River." You mentally slap yourself; she can't hear you anyway, and you never, ever, ever -  
  
" - _ever_ refer to the subject by name. Lab rats, with numbers, don't make them people." She's pressing her fingers against the glass again, and you can almost believe that she's going to push right through. "I see you, Zenia. I can help you."


	2. predisposition

Fiona:  
  
  
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I didn't oversee this part of the project personally, and some of my colleagues are notoriously stingy with sharing data. They often forget that we are all on the same "team". The visual record of experiment, as well as a transcript, is attached to this communication, but as it's nearly three hours long, I'll summarize the major points, in case you don't feel like watching the entire thing.   
  
It does indeed involve subject #24-B, about a month after she arrived. Dr. Americk is in charge, with Kim and Jacob assisting. He starts off with the usual posturing. At timestamp 13:28, Kim administers an intravenous injection of dinitrobenthasobal, 7 cc's. For about fifteen minutes, nothing happens, so Kim administers a second dose, which is when things get interesting.   
  
At timestamp 13:51, the subject manages to break one of her restraints, punching Jacob in the nose. I encourage you to, if nothing else, watch that bit of the video as it's absolutely hilarious. I myself wasted a good part of my afternoon rewinding that part over and over.   
  
More to the point, at timestamp 13:59, the subject calms down and appears to slip into a dissociative state, so Americk begins the indoctrination procedure. Both visual and auditory stimuli were presented, because even though you and I read the same reports that he does, Americk is always convinced that he knows better than the experts. Everything goes okay for a while, until timestamp 14:32, when the subject suddenly sits straight up and begins talking about green foliage.  
  
Americk orders them to turn up the volume, but Kim suggests that they question her instead. It's clear that Americk thinks that she's an idiot, but he lets her proceed. At first, the subject appears to be responding to Kim's inquiries, but once she moves away from yes-or-no questions, it's obvious that the subject is in her own little world. Americk hypothesizes that she's hallucinating. Kim is convinced that it's a memory, trying to confirm this at timestamp 14:47. She asks the subject how old she is, and the subject states that she is five.   
  
Americk dismisses Kim's theory and wants to get back to work. You can tell that Kim wants to punch him in the face, but she refrains.   
  
Questioning continues. Subject describes a lush landscape, likely the grounds of an expensive estate. (Perhaps her own home? I don't have clearance for that data, but I know you do.) Subject mentions Simon, who I believe is her brother, based on previous sessions I've had with her. They are hiding from someone, for some reason. Subject mentions a small animal, possibly a rabbit, although I have no way of knowing which planet she's from, so that may be my own bias.   
  
At timestamp 15:15, subject is crying, speaking in broken sentences, but she's generally coherent. She speaks of blood, cracking bones. Kim tries to get her to elaborate or to clarify, but even with her best efforts, it's not clear if she killed the person known as Simon, or the rabbit (or rabbit-like animal). Actually, as I'm typing this, I realize that the animal might be a mental representation of Simon in her mind. I'm inclined to believe that it was the animal that died, as at 15:16, she says:  
  
SUBJECT: LITTLE BROKEN BODY, ALL IN MY HANDS.  
  
This could be metaphorical, of course.   
  
Americk persists in calling this a hallucination, but Kim is pretty adamant in her conviction that it's a memory. I think this is why she's recommended that the subject be transfered to your care. I'm not sure that I agree with her reasoning. Killing an animal as a child (and it's fairly likely that this was an accident, if it even happened) hardly predisposes someone for this kind of work. I'd be more convinced if there was a pattern of behavior, beyond just one questionable incident. Of course, you know how well everyone listens to me around here. If the transfer does go through, I can assure you that she will at least be a fascinating subject, if not a productive one.   
  
I hope this answers your question, and give my best to Neal.  
  
  
  
\- Zenia  
  
  
  
  
____________________________________________________  
  
  
  
  
ATTACHED: 24-B-DESEN1-AMERICK.VID  
ATTACHED: 24-B-DESEN1-AMERICK(TRANSCRIPT).DOC


End file.
